Onboarding for SuccessCornell Course

In today's competitive job market, retaining top talent is more challenging than ever. High employee turnover not only disrupts team dynamics but also demands significant time and resources. A well-designed onboarding process, however, can reduce turnover, accelerate time to productivity, and strengthen long-term employee retention.

Onboarding presents a strategic opportunity to align the early experiences of new hires with your organizational goals. A strong onboarding plan does more than teach employees how to perform their roles — it also fosters a sense of belonging, builds connections, and sets clear, measurable objectives that support both individual and organizational success.

Drawing on extensive research, Professor JR Keller provides a science-based, practical approach to designing an effective onboarding experience. You will begin by exploring the four major domains of onboarding and their impact on employee engagement, job satisfaction, and organizational fit. From there, you will discover how to map specific tasks to milestones, build a structured plan that involves both new hires and their colleagues, and identify metrics to evaluate your plan's effectiveness. You will also explore emerging technologies that can support and enhance onboarding delivery.

Whether you're an HR generalist, hiring manager, or member of a hiring committee, this course will equip you with the tools to transform onboarding from a routine checklist into a purposeful, results-driven program. By the end of the course, you'll be able to create a measurable onboarding plan that fosters early engagement, supports long-term success, and contributes to a positive and productive workplace culture.